# What is your personal high?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 8, 2014, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318 "2014-06-08T06:45:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/21 "2014-06-10T00:24:53Z")

</div>

When my second son was born.

The first was c-section, so it was all very controlled and methodical. The second was a natural birth (VBAC, at that), and was chaotic as all hell. When my wife was pushing him out, it was the absolute craziest feeling. I was terrified and euphoric at the same time.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/22 "2014-06-10T01:00:37Z")

</div>

Getting my first teaching job when I didn’t think I wanted to be a teacher. I was unemployed, it was a job. That was 2001. Attended yet another graduation on Friday.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/23 "2014-06-10T01:05:33Z")

</div>

The day I picked up my brand new Kawasaki KZ900 motorcycle. The first really costly thing I ever bought. Payments were 160/ month. At the time it was the fastest motorcycle commonly available. The night I picked it up my buddy’s girlfriend, my future ex-wife, climbed off his bike and got on the back of mine! It’s a miracle I (we) survived that thing!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/24 "2014-06-10T01:23:24Z")

</div>

Hang on. Where are all the Nobel prize winners, famous authors, billionaires and sports stars that I thought were posting here?

What, me? No. Well, a thread I started got threadspotted once. Thinking about that still gives me a warm glow. Also, on a couple of occasions I’ve had money and/or sex.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jungian\_Camisole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@Jungian\_Camisole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jungian_Camisole)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/25 "2014-06-10T01:35:45Z")

</div>

The day that I taped for a nationally televised game show. I’ve never been so scared in my life, and it was the most fun I’d had up to that point. Changed my life, it did.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/26 "2014-06-10T14:08:34Z")

</div>

> [@Martian Bigfoot](#):
>
> Hang on. Where are all the Nobel prize winners, famous authors, billionaires and sports stars that I thought were posting here?

Well… the award I mention in my post above would probably show up on many people’s list of 10-15 such things. Does that count?

PS - and that, quite accidentally, was my post 9,000… so does THAT count? 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/27 "2014-06-10T14:11:25Z")

</div>

> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> Well… the award I mention in my post above would probably show up on many people’s list of 10-15 such things. Does that count?

It was a Little Orphan Annie Decoder Pin, wasn’t it? ADMIT IT! 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/28 "2014-06-10T14:16:43Z")

</div>

> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#):
>
> It was a Little Orphan Annie Decoder Pin, wasn’t it? ADMIT IT! 🙂

“Son of a bitch!”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/29 "2014-06-10T14:59:05Z")

</div>

> [@Martian Bigfoot](#):
>
> If that was all in the same day, it does sound pretty awesome. 😛

Hah! I’m good, but I’m not that good. 🙂

I’ve also been a professional archaeologist and an author (aka smut peddler), but I’m a Medicare product manager now. I’ve managed to be involved in all the professions I wanted to as a kid. That makes me feel good, but I need new goals.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/30 "2014-06-10T15:30:17Z")

</div>

In chronological order:

1. When I saw Duran Duran in concert
2. When I crossed the finish line of my first half-marathon (at Disneyland!)
3. The day I got married
4. When I finished my Bucket List by staying at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/31 "2014-06-10T16:10:58Z")

</div>

Anyone else notice that more than twice as many people had personal lows than personal highs?

I would say my personal highs were back in elementary school–learning to read, write, add and subtract…–with reading in particular being truly world-changing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/32 "2014-06-10T16:52:21Z")

</div>

> [@overlyverbose](#):
>
> I’ve also been a professional archaeologist […] but I’m a Medicare product manager now.

First you dug 'em up… now you ready them for planting? Or, perhaps more kindly, …now you dust them off?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/33 "2014-06-10T17:09:18Z")

</div>

> [@PastTense](#):
>
> I would say my personal highs were back in elementary school–learning to read, write, add and subtract…–with reading in particular being truly world-changing.

You know, I had some high points in my very early childhood. Learning to walk was pretty great for my personal freedom. Talking was another big one. Mastering that trick vastly improved my relationship with my family and friends. No more vainly trying to articulate my endless flow of unreasonable demands by simply blabbering “ga-ga-ga” at them. Ah, the power of words! It gave me tremendous leverage. Not to mention achieving control of my own bowel movements. I can’t tell you how much that did for my self esteem.

Too bad that I can’t remember any of it, of course.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/34 "2014-06-10T19:18:20Z")

</div>

> [@PastTense](#):
>
> Anyone else notice that more than twice as many people had personal lows than personal highs?

Technically, everybody has one of each. 😉

Everything in-between is just “Shit That Happened”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/35 "2014-06-10T19:39:12Z")

</div>

I’ve had two and they both happened in the same year.

[I got married.](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/Clothahump/Certificate_zps2381336e.jpg)  
[I was inducted as a Master Instructor](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/Clothahump/Taekwondo/ChuckbeingDubbed_zps36a642c5.jpg).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/36 "2014-06-10T19:42:37Z")

</div>

> [@PastTense](#):
>
> Anyone else notice that more than twice as many people had personal lows than personal highs?
> 
> I would say my personal highs were back in elementary school–learning to read, write, add and subtract…–with reading in particular being truly world-changing.

Everyone wants to believe that they have already experienced their personal low. Few people have experienced anything so wonderful that they _want_ to believe it’s their personal high.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![claramorena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@claramorena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/claramorena)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/37 "2014-06-10T22:41:42Z")

</div>

A few

Graduated with honors from High school and then College(also honors) A had a middle school teacher who said in front of my classmates I would do poorly in high-school since I have dyslexia. 😛

I became a published writer at 16!  
At an airport a man asked to take a photograph of me. I was very flattered.

getting a job at a museum

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/38 "2014-06-10T22:59:27Z")

</div>

> [@panache45](#):
>
> As the flip side of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=725416), what has been the high point of your life?
> 
> For me, it’s the night I met my partner. It was definitely “lust” at first sight, late on a Friday, in a place when gay men met for anonymous sex. We wound up back in my apartment, which we didn’t leave all weekend.
> 
> Later this year, we’ll celebrate our 27th anniversary.
> 
> So what’s yours?

Congratulations!

My first date with my husband was similar. I was madly in love with him about ten minutes later. I still remember our meeting at the Hayden Planetarium light show, he all tall and gawky and funny and kind and deliciously witty and modest and oh so handsome! We celebrate our 20th anniversary next month.

Also when the publisher said yes to the book I co-authored with another SD member. And when Dr. Offit send us an email that said, “Loved the book. Wonderful job.” I think I’ve read that email at least a thousand times.

The five hour nearly pain free labor with my daughter was also pretty marvelous. And realizing that I, unlike my mom, am not allergic to cats is really freaking great.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/39 "2014-06-11T00:10:47Z")

</div>

Emotionally, the highs were falling in love twice. Having a system full of euphoria inducing chemicals for a couple of weeks is pretty neat. There’s a reason all those songs get written about it.

Other than that, getting my first middle class job was a happy time – it’s a wonderful feeling to know you probably won’t be making close to minimum all your life.

Creatively, producing the half dozen or so stories, articles, illustrations that represent the best I can do, and then getting praise from people whose opinions I respect. Normally I’m my toughest critic, and getting compliments on stuff I’m not happy with is no great pleasure.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318/40 "2014-06-11T00:22:40Z")

</div>

Definitely having the kids. The post-birth hormonal high was amazing, and something about the babies being awesome and perfect and ever so wonderful, yadda yadda yadda, but seriously: the hormones!

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318.md?page=1)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-personal-high/690318.md?page=3)
